This section is intended to introduce the reader to various aspects of art, which may be related to various aspects of the present invention that are described and/or claimed below. This discussion is believed to be helpful in providing the reader with background information to facilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the present invention. Accordingly, it should be understood that these statements are to be read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art.
Watching television is a very popular pastime in the United States and other countries. Television viewers often utilize remote controls to manage their television viewing experience. For example, remote controls are used to change channels, scan through recorded video, adjust volume, manipulate viewing settings, enable closed captioning, turn the television on and off, and so forth. To accommodate the introduction of additional functionality (e.g., digital television, sub-channels for broadcast television, digital recording, and the like) traditional remote controls may include a large number of buttons for specific procedures (e.g., buttons to step through channels, buttons to control recording features, number keys to directly input channels, and other specific input options). Further, some traditional remote controls include menu navigation buttons that allow a user to navigate through menus in a step-by-step process based on up, down, left and right (UDLR) commands. Including buttons for all of the available television operation features often results in a large remote control with a large number of buttons that can complicate use of the remote control and intimidate users.